??? How to clean pellets

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Shane1

Shane1

Member
Oct 23, 2015
99
Montgomery, New York
I've read older threads on vacuum systems to get the dust out of the pellets before putting them in the stove,but they are old and the links no longer work . I was hoping for some help with this. I bought an englander 25ep. It's a cheaper stove so I would like to do what ever I can to make it run better. Any help would be appreciated. Also I'm looking for a vacuum cleaning system for a few bags a time.
 
Some people have built a slanted table with mesh on the bottom. As they pour the pellets at the top, the pellets fall into a container at the bottom while the sawdust falls through the mesh.
 
I have the same stove... don't even worry about it. I've never had an issue and never once attempted to do anything but dump in hopper.
 
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Shane1 said:
I've read older threads on vacuum systems to get the dust out of the pellets before putting them in the stove,but they are old and the links no longer work . I was hoping for some help with this. I bought an englander 25ep. It's a cheaper stove so I would like to do what ever I can to make it run better. Any help would be appreciated. Also I'm looking for a vacuum cleaning system for a few bags a time.
Click to expand...

You can go to YouTube and search for 'Homemade pellet vacuum' and you will see a video by Stephen Russell.
It will give you a general idea.

Here's the link:

I'm sure there are more.
 
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I Just built one of those pellets vacuums as I found a few bags that must have gotten damaged at dealer by moisture. the bagged had mixed pellets, sawdust and huge pellet/sawdust clumps. It was easy to put together but had to get a decent HP shop vac and tweak it to suck sawdust only and not pellets. Important thing is not to steal kitchen items as the funnel...found that out the hard way. (Inputs wife's slap)
 
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pelletvacdiagram1-jpg.112553.jpg This should be the design that I modified with the duct work hopper.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/pelletvacdiagram1-jpg.112553/
 
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made one a couple weeks ago and it works great, no more dust every time filling the stove I usually pour slowly with a full bag then at about a 1/4 bag I stop and start a new one then filter out when I get a couple bags, works great as some bags have a lot and it keeps the wife happy also. I used a couple pieces of cheap plastic gutter guard to keep pellets from being sucked up, just turn off the vac so the pellet pcs fall in the bucket and not the floor.lol
 
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biomass burner said:
think im gonna make one! looks good well done! what size screen did you use for it and i see theres two layers? thanks for the great idea
Click to expand...
Cheap plastic gutter screen. Easy to cut and if you screw it up, you have quite a few more try's before you run out.
 
All righty then. Here is how I clean pellets. I dump those little ______ in the hopper. Then take care of the cleaning and fines on the monthly routine. Purdy simple. God forgive me and all the little peeps down in New Genius. Pretty sweet knock off, Huh?
 
Getting a pellet stove in a couple of days. My wife heard from fellow employees where she works that pellet stoves are inherently dusty. I told her I would vac the dust out of the pellets in the garage, no problem. Can anyone define what pellet fines are? Sawdust? Small Chips and pieces of pellets? Do.small.particles cause problems with the anger or stove.in general? Does one stove brand handle pellet fines better than another? Thanks
 
I know my sons cheap bbs stove doesn't like a lot of fines like most top load stoves, my Harman's don't care and will burn just about anything I've thrown at it, I use the vac mostly for the insert in the living room as to keep the saw dust down and because its harder to clean out the fines box, the p61 down stairs is a little easier to clean and fill so I'm not as concerned with the fines, as far as small pits and pieces go they'll load and burn no prob, I use the above design and adjust the draft so as to let all the smallest bits pass and just suck up the saw dust,,,
 
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wildbill said:
I know my sons cheap bbs stove doesn't like a lot of fines like most top load stoves, my Harman's don't care and will burn just about anything I've thrown at it, I use the vac mostly for the insert in the living room as to keep the saw dust down and because its harder to clean out the fines box, the p61 down stairs is a little easier to clean and fill so I'm not as concerned with the fines, as far as small pits and pieces go they'll load and burn no prob, I use the above design and adjust the draft so as to let all the smallest bits pass and just suck up the saw dust,,,
Click to expand...
yeah i have dumped some dusty pellets in my pc45 with no real issue other then a spark show in the burn pot lol
 
I burned 7 tons in my Drolet. Clean out the bottom of the hopper every week or so with a vacuum. Easy as can be.

It is a pellet stove. Not a space shuttle.
 
Jake86 said:
Getting a pellet stove in a couple of days. My wife heard from fellow employees where she works that pellet stoves are inherently dusty. I told her I would vac the dust out of the pellets in the garage, no problem. Can anyone define what pellet fines are? Sawdust? Small Chips and pieces of pellets? Do.small.particles cause problems with the anger or stove.in general? Does one stove brand handle pellet fines better than another? Thanks
Click to expand...

Fines are saw dust particles! Build the pellet vacuum and suck them out. My wife is a bit of a clean fanatic so I make sure I do not bring in any fines.

Very carefully pouring a bag into the hopper can drastically reduce airborne fines also.

Bill
 
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Ya, I got one and it works. Think the above home made would be faster though. There also a similar one on eBay.
 
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